


Where Words Can Reach

by ShiroHatzuki



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa), Angst, Childhood Friends, Coffee Shops, Complicated Relationships, Growth, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Other, Pining, So many AUs, Teachers, as much as i regret it, i say that but it's actually pretty basic, this is like, we were doing so well too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2019-10-03 05:08:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 17,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17277644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShiroHatzuki/pseuds/ShiroHatzuki
Summary: Kaede has started anew in a new city with a new career as a music teacher at the nearby high school. However, after a few unfortunate encounters with a purse thief, she meets a kindly detective. She may have never anticipated having any sort of relationship with him, romantic or otherwise, but the memories he stirs up are much more than she ever bargained for.





	1. Run Lads Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a run-in with a purse thief spoiled her day, Kaede meets a detective. With promises of getting her beloved purse back, life must be turning up roses.

It was a clear mid-spring night when Kaede found herself sulking home after a long, unfortunate day. Earlier, her bag had been stolen right from under her arm by some crooked guy that decided it was better to take it with force. While nothing terribly important was inside of it aside from some loose cash she knew was somewhere in the void known as the bottom, the bag itself was a gift from a dear friend and had served her well in the new city. Not having it by her side was like missing a part of her very being.

In her mourning, she must have forgotten to pay attention to her surroundings, for she bumped into a man. "Ah, sorry!" she exclaimed, turning so she could apologize directly to the man. Actually, something about him seemed familiar...

However, before she could get a better look at him, the man continued on past her, not even acknowledging her. "Rude," she muttered with a pout.

Just as Kaede was about to move on, another man, this one long and lanky and a bit younger than the first, came rushing up to her. "Excuse me, miss," the young man called. When he was closer, he brought down the volume of his voice. "Have you seen a purse thief around here?" The young man then pulled out a small notebook and proceeded to list off the man's characteristics. Strangely, to Kaede, they sounded familiar to what few traits she saw of the man she ran into earlier. And to the one that took her bag.

In only a few seconds after the young man started talking to her, Kaede was off, her feet flying across the sidewalk. Before long, she spotted him. The crook must have heard her footsteps, for he turned, but he was not quick enough to escape. Kaede grabbed his collar as she halted to a stop and yanked hard, dragging him down. Their eyes were leveled, and she glared hard into the man's.

"It was you. You stole my purse." In her own ears, her words were dripping with much more accusation and anger than she intended, but it seemed like she had gotten her point across. The thief's face was masked in fear.

Before long, the young man caught up to Kaede. "I- What are you doing with that man?" he sputtered out.

Kaede turned to him, and the purse thief made a pointless attempt to escape her iron grip on his shirt. "Is this your man?"

The young man checked his notebook, looking up at the man every few seconds before turning back to whatever words he wrote down. "... Yeah, the description matches up," he said at last, "I'll, uh, get some back up."

He then pulled out a walkie talkie, which Kaede found odd. He was wearing the normal shirt-and-tie outfit that many men going to work in the city would wear, but perhaps…

"Are you a police officer?" she asked.

The young man looked up from what he was doing and shook his head. "No, I'm just a detective, though... honestly, I'm not even qualified for this particular job..."

Just then, a police car arrived. Two officers climbed out and cautiously took the thief from Kaede, put handcuffs on him, and led him to the car. The detective then approached her with some hesitation. "Um, thanks for catching our guy, miss. He's been stealing things in this area for a while now. It was... kinda incredible that you caught him so quickly."

"Yeah, I got lucky there, I guess," Kaede agreed, "I had run into him earlier, so I remembered his face by then. But you also got lucky, Mr. detective." A spark of curiosity lit up in the young man's eyes at those words. Kaede continued, "Had he not stolen my bag earlier today, I wouldn't have remembered his face. So you were lucky that I just so happened to be a victim of his purse-stealing antics."

The detective looked concerned at those words. "He stole your things as well? Are you alright, miss?"

"I'm fine," Kaede assured him, "Though, it would be nice to get my stuff back."

"I-I could help with that, since we will try to recover and return all of the stolen items we can after this."

"Really?" Kaede felt her heart soar at the idea of finally being reunited with her bag after she had thought it was lost for good. "Thank you so much. It's a white bag and the accents on it are black with a white music pattern. I only had some loose change in it when it was stolen, but I don't really care about that, so if it's empty, that's okay." As she described the bag, she noticed that the young man had pulled out a pen and was quickly jotting down some things in his notebook. "Even if you don't find it, thank you for going through the trouble."

The detective closed his notebook and shoved everything into his pocket. "Don't worry. We'll find it." His tone was neither confident nor cocky, but rather he said his words as if it was an inevitable fact that he had no choice but to confirm to be true. That felt reassuring to Kaede. At least there was hope that the detective was a competent one.

Suddenly, Kaede heard the tune of a piano come from her pocket. She fished out her phone to find that a friend had sent her a message to get herself to his place because he needed someone to talk to. Kaede sighed. That guy was so pushy. "Sorry, it looks like I need to be on my way now," she told the detective, "Thanks for everything. Have a great night!" With that, she was running once more. She thought she heard the detective say something else, but she brushed it off. Her friend was in need.


	2. Run Lads Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaede has listened to her best friend cry about his relationship problems, though there is something important that needs to be addressed.

"... and ever since then I've been afraid that she would break up with me."

"Don't worry. She calls you a loser regardless of the conversation," Kaede said to her friend, "Just saying it angrily doesn't mean she'll hate you for it."

"But what if she gets fed up with me?" Kaito countered, a hint of panic in his voice.

"If she really was able to be so fed up with you that she left, she probably would’ve done so already." Kaede tried to pull off her best reassuring smile.

"Hey, are you saying I’m always annoying?" Kaito realized a bit too late.

"Maybe.” She did not mean that at all, but that was best kept to herself for now.

Kaito slumped back on the oversized couch. "Man, you're the worst sometimes."

Just as requested of her, Kaede was in Kaito's apartment; a decently sized space with an open floor plan for the living room and kitchen and both a single bedroom and bathroom. Kaede was sitting on the opposite end of the couch with her friend. As per usual, Kaito was sulking, and she had to comfort him once more.

"I know you also think I'm the best friend ever," Kaede smirked.

Her friend sighed. "Yeah, you are. You helped me hook up with Harumaki in the first place. And... you know... you're here and all to comfort a loser like me."

Kaede moved to sit closer to Kaito, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Don't sell yourself that short. You still have a lot of redeeming qualities." She could probably list at least a hundred of them, but she there was a person that could say twice as many as her.

"You being serious?" the other's eyes brightened a bit.

"Yeah. Maki was telling me about the things she liked about you the other day, you know."

"Really? What did she say?"

Kaede chuckled. "You're gonna have to ask her yourself. Maybe she'll tell you if you make up with her."

Suddenly, Kaito stood up, his demeanor radiating energy. "Yeah, I'm gonna do that right now."

"She'll get pissed if you visit her this late," Kaede warned, though she knew that her friend did not care about that. Nor would Maki, secretly.

"Harumaki will forgive me," Kaito said, already shoving his mess of hair through a hoodie as he slipped on a pair of worn down sneakers at the same time. "You have my spare key, right?"

"Of course. I'll lock the door when I leave. Don't forget your phone." Kaede tossed Kaito's cell phone to him, which he caught. "Make sure you tell me how it goes."

"Fine, whatever. I going to see my girlfriend now."

"You've got this!" Kaede called after him. She really did hope Kaito would get his relationship going steady again.

When the front door clicked shut, Kaede found herself alone in the apartment. She wondered how she had managed to get another friend that she could never shake even if she tried, though she never really tried. Not with Kaito, anyway. Maki could also be considered one of those sorts of friends, though it was still hard to believe that someone who was almost the exact opposite of Kaito could be as such. It made Kaede feel a bit special to click with her, in a way.

Kaede pulled her feet up as she laid down on the couch. Was the last person like Kaito? No, he was different in so many way. The one from her past was not as loud and obnoxious. He was not as open with his feelings, hiding them until they were alone together before revealing just a few for her to see. And most of all, unlike Kaito, he had stolen Kaede's heart. For so many years, she suffered through one sided feelings for that boy, never daring to let them escape out of fear that their happy moments together would end. Once she was accepted into a college that was far away from home, she packed her bags and did not tell a soul where she was going, cutting off all ties with that boy. Looking back at it, Kaede laughed at how silly she was at the time. The effects of growing up and growing out of love, she guessed. The only thing she had to remind her of her youth were a few photographs and a-

Kaede bolted straight up as a crucial fact dawned on her. Her heart felt like it sunk into her stomach once again that day as a single thought materialized into a statement that might as well have been a bright neon sign in an otherwise pitch black room.

She had no way of contacting that detective again.


	3. I Know How This Ends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As soon as school is over, Kaede sets out to find her bag again. However, it turns out to be much easier to find things that one would think.

The last bell for the day sounded, and the students all grabbed their belongings and began to file out of the classroom. A few of them threw some quick farewells over their shoulders, and Kaede happily returned them. Once they had all left, Kaede looked around at the mess that was made in the music classroom. They all had too much fun with that lesson, Kaede thought as she picked up a drum stick someone left on the ground. Then again, that was the exact result that she wanted.

"Need a hand?" Kaede turned around to see Kaito leaning against one of the open doors on the other side of the room.

"Yes, please." Her friend stood up straight and strolled over to help put the music room back in order. "This place is such a mess, even for high schoolers," Kaede pouted.

"At least you aren't teaching little kids," Kaito pointed out, "Everything would be broken if that happened."

Kaede chuckled. "Maki would know that well, wouldn't she? Speaking of, are you going to ask her for help again today?"

Kaito nervously avoided eye contact with her. "What makes you ask?"

"I saw those stacks of papers you've been accumulating last night." Kaede almost let out an evil cackle as her friend's expression twisted at the realization that he could not lie his way out.

"... Grading takes a lot of effort, okay?" Kaito finally admitted, "It eats up so much time and it’s boring to look at the same information over and over again. Hey, can I just give them a grade if they attend class?"

"You might get yelled at if you tried, though I think I'd be able to do that," said Kaede.

"Yeah, thought so." Another sigh. "Grades suck. I thought they'd suck less when I was the one doing the grading, but it turns out that they still suck."

Kaede shook her head. "Don't be like that. I'm sure you'll get the hang of it. After all, you managed to get through college better than most." Kaito did not seem to cheer up that much from that, so she went on to say, "Hey, I'll finish up here. You go ahead to the daycare."

"Are you sure?" Kaito asked, though he clearly wanted to go to his girlfriend's workplace as soon as possible.

"We've cleaned up most of the stuff here. Get out of here and grade those papers already."

"If you say so. We're having dinner at Maki's place if you want to come, by the way," Kaito added.

"Can't say no to free food. I'll see you both then."

Kaito waved over his shoulder as Kaede finished putting away everything. She decided not to mention that one piece of paper that was on the ground looked like a homework assignment that Kaito gave his students to complete. Looked like there was one student that would be in trouble if they did not come back for it.

As soon as the room was tidy, Kaede packed up her own things and hurried out of the school. She was a woman on a mission to get her bag back, after all. The night before, after much pondering, she decided that the best way of getting it back was to drop by the police station. On her walk to the station, Kaede prayed that either the detective and/or her bag were there.

Sometime before she reached the station, she passed by a small cafe. She paused, considering going in. Kaede never noticed it before, but when she thought about it, the cafe's location was not far from Maki's apartment complex. Perhaps she would stop by it whenever she went to her friend's place. For the time being, she considered stopping in to grab a cup of coffee before continuing on to the station. After all, the coffee shop near her home was in the opposite direction, and she had a major need for some afterschool coffee. Or beer. But she would settle for coffee.

However, before she could finalize her decision, she noticed that a young man walked out that looked familiar. "Oh, hey!" Kaede called, waving to the detective, trying to catch his attention.

The detective looked up and made eye contact with her. "Ah, hello there, miss," he greeted shyly.

"You remember me, mister Detective?" Kaede giggled when she was face to face with the man.

He nodded in response. "You're the one who helped us last night, right? You said your bag was one of the ones that were stolen?" Kaede confirmed the fact. "Well, we believe we've found most of the stolen bags, and they're all at the police station, if you want to look."

So she was right to go to the station. "Yes, please."

The detective accompanied her the rest of the station, and they made small talk along the way. It was not very significant conversation, but all the while, she felt something warm inside of her. She was comfortable being with the young man, and he was good company. It was a feeling that she knew very well from all of her friends before, but it also had a uniqueness to it that seemed foreign until she realized it was similar to something from long ago. From that boy.

Once at the station, the detective told Kaede to follow him to the back of the building into what appeared to be a large storage closet. He shuffled through a cardboard box for a minute before pulling out a white bag with patterned black accents. "Does the description of your stolen bag fit this one?" the detective queried, handing the bag to Kaede.

Kaede gladly accepted the bag, turning it over a few times in her hands in disbelief. She really got it back. "Yes. Yes! This is the one. It's even in the same condition as when that guy stole it, too," she jokingly added as she showed to the detective how worn and rumpled up it was. Of course, it had been that way long before the purse thief took it.

The detective gave a hesitant chuckle and apologized. Something about the shyness of this man made Kaede want to see if she could push past that reserved nature and find out what was on the other side of the detective. "But seriously, thank you so much for finding my bag, uh... Should I keep calling you 'mister Detective,' or would you like to be called a different name?" Kaede asked.

"Oh, um, my name is Shuichi Saihara."

"Well, thank you, Mr. Saihara," Kaede smiled, "and nice to meet you. My name's Kaede Akamatsu, though you probably won't be seeing much of me after this." She realized it as she said the words: there was no reason to get so attached to the man named Shuichi Saihara, since she was only a single high school music teacher that had her bag stolen, and he was a detective that just happened to be able to find the said bag. There was no reason for them to meet again.

Shuichi seemed to carefully consider Kaede's words for a moment before saying, "... Is there a way that we can meet again? After this? I-I mean, only if you was to, of course."

"Sure," Kaede responded almost on impulse. Was there a chance that they could intertwine their fates?


	4. Helpless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaede's life has been changed ever so slightly since meeting the man named Shuichi, but more twists are to come her way.

"You haven't been by here as much as you used to, Kaede," Kirumi noted aloud as she handed Kaede her coffee-to-go. It was early morning when Kaede walked in, as usual, to the cozy coffee shop named Yuribara near her apartment. By then, she was such a regular that the owner of the shop, Shirogane, and the only employee there, Kirumi, were very familiar with her.

"Oh, well, I made a new friend that I meet up with after school," Kaede explained.

Kirumi raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? So I suppose we have to compete for Kaede's attention, now."

"Aw, don't worry, I'll always drop by in the morning to see you guys," Kaede promised with a laugh.

"And for the coffee?"

"Nothing beats the coffee you guys make. I've tried coffee from other places, but you've put a monopoly on my taste buds."

"I see." Kirumi wore a small smile as she said that. "Well then, I hope you enjoy this cup, as well."

"How business-like!" Kaede exclaimed, "I should get going now. Here's to another day of work."

"Good luck with work," Kirumi called after Kaede as the music teacher exited Yuribara.

After the day when she encountered the detective named Shuichi Saihara for a second time, Kaede fell into a new routine that integrated him in her life. She would wake up, go to the coffee shop in the morning, go through the school day if it's a week day, then would stop by the cafe near the police station, where she might have a chance to see Shuichi for a few minutes. Even in those few fleeting moments, Kaede enjoyed their time together. Sometimes they would chat about nothing in particular, and other times, they would sit silently as they both did whatever paperwork they had; Shuichi usually having much more than Kaede while Kaede mostly looked through sheet music.

That day after school, Shuichi had pushed aside his work and opted to just sit and talk with Kaede. "A lot of these cases are not very difficult to solve," Shuichi said when Kaede raised an eyebrow at him, "They tend to follow a very similar pattern to one another, for some reason."

"Sounds rough," Kaede commented, "Like those cliches in movies." She took a sip of her coffee. The flavor was not strong enough, she thought, feeling slightly dissatisfied. Even though she was no expert on things regarding taste, Yuribara's coffee was still the best.

"Do you not like your coffee?" Shuichi asked suddenly.

"Eh. It gives me the caffeine I need, and that's really all that matters," Kaede shrugged.

"But you still don't like it?"

"It's just that I've tasted coffee I like better. It's that kind of thing when you have something good once and you can't help but compare everything to it, you know?" Kaede smiled. "Of course, this is way better than the crap they have at work, so it's hard to complain."

Shuichi chuckled. "It seems to be that way at every job, huh? But I've never had coffee that tastes better than what this place serves."

"I could bring you there," Kaede suggested, "It's a bit far from the station, though, so maybe when you have more time on your hands."

"Actually, I'm taking a day off this weekend," Shuichi told her, "Maybe then?"

"Sure. Sounds like a date," Kaede said, half kidding.

Apparently, Shuichi did not pick up on the humorous tone in her voice, for his face quickly became flushed. "D-date?" he sputtered out.

Somehow, the other's flustered state seemed to be contagious, for Kaede felt her own cheeks start to grow pink. "Relax. I was just joking," she assured Shuichi, "Unless you want it to be an actual date."

"I mean... Maybe we could also do some other things together. If you want to, of course," he added quickly.

"Yeah, seems good. Want to meet in front of book store near here? Maybe in the morning?" Kaede asked.

"Sure. Could we meet at ten on Saturday?"

"I can do that," Kaede confirmed.

"Alright. Alright, okay." Shuichi nodded a few times before he pulled out his notebook and jotted down the time, date, and place. Then he abruptly stood up and took out some cash. "I have to get going now. For work. Here's my portion of the check."

Kaede took the money. "See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah. See you." And with that, Shuichi quickly took his belongings and left the cafe.

Kaede stared after him even after he had exited through the glass doors and was long since out of view, not quite understanding what had just happened. It was only after she took another sip of the slightly above-average coffee did the situation sink in.

Did she really schedule a date with a guy?


	5. Fools

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was a date, right? Is it a date? Kaede has trouble figuring out if it is or not, but she still promised to spend the day with Shuichi, so she is going to do just that.

Kaede glanced at her watch as she approached the book store. She was ten minutes too early. She slowed to a stop and looked around. Ten minutes was not too bad of a waiting time, and at least she was not late like she thought she would be. She had quite a bit of trouble deciding on an outfit. Something cute would be nice, but maybe more casual. But was it a date between friends, or was it a DATE date that two people dating went on? For the majority of her time, her head was running around in circles.

"Kaede!" She turned towards the voice to find Shuichi jogging up towards her. He was wearing a striped shirt with a black button up over it, jeans, and sneakers. Kaede was glad she did not go in her pajamas like she considered doing at one point. "Sorry, did you wait for long?"

She looked at her watch again. "No, I've only been here for a few minutes. But you're also a bit early."

"I guess I got a bit excited when I thought about spending the day with you," Shuichi responded before ducking his head, the tips of his ears turning red.

"Yeah, me too," Kaede said, her head going into overdrive. Was it a dating date or a friend date? That statement from the young man did not clear up anything. At all.

"S-so, what should we do first?" Shuichi asked, "I'm down for mostly anything."

"How about looking through the bookstore, since we're already here?" Kaede suggested.

Shuichi said he was fine with it, so the two went in. A bit over half an hour later, they left the shop after having purchased two copies of the same book Kaede thought it would be fun if they could read and discuss a book together, and it turned out they both liked that author's works. Next, they headed towards Yuribara, both not having had their coffee yet. Kaede could not wait to start reading her brand new book with her maybe friend/potential boyfriend in her one of her favorite places with her favorite coffee.

"Yuribara?" Shuichi started when they found themselves in front of the coffee shop, "That's..."

"Yeah, the owner of this place is kind of weird, but she's really sweet. So is the only other person who works here," Kaede told him.

Kaede went ahead and entered the coffee shop, the bell on the door ringing to mark her arrival. Instantly she was greeted by the smell of freshly made coffee.

"Ah, Kaede! We were worried you wouldn't come today."

Kaede saw the owner, Tsumugi, wave to her from behind the counter with Kirumi.

"Good morning, Tsumugi, Kirumi. There's no way I'm going to miss coming here," Kaede responded.

Suddenly, Tsumugi glanced pass her and stared directly at Shuichi, who shuffled uncomfortably under her gaze. "Ohoho. Is the reason you're late because of your new boyfriend?" she giggled.

"He- he's not- we're-" Kaede gave up on sputtering out nonsense. They were what? Friends? Dating? Closely acquainted due to a crime they both became involved with? No, that last one needed to be reworded.

"Um, I- m-my name is Shuichi Saihara. Nice to meet you!" Shuichi managed out with a bit too much force.

"I'm Tsumugi Shirogane," said Tsumugi, "and the quiet beauty is Kirumi. Pleased to meet you, Shuichi." Kirumi gave a small greeting before excusing herself and going through a back door. “So what will you two be having today?”

Kaede ordered her usual, but Shuichi had trouble deciding. "I'm sorry," Shuichi muttered as his eyes skimmed over the board over head for the fifth time.

"Don't worry about it," Tsumugi assured him, "Trying new things can be daunting. Take your time."

When Shuichi finally made his decision, Kaede made sure to clarify that they would be drinking in the shop before the two found an open table by a window. "Want to start reading now?" Kaede asked, pulling out the bag with the two books. Shuichi nodded, so she handed him one of the books before taking out the other for herself.

Just then, Kirumi arrived with a tray. "Your coffee," she said simply as she placed two ceramic cups of coffee in front of them. Before Kaede could thank her, though, she also set down two plates of sandwiches.

"We didn't order these," Kaede objected.

"No, you didn't," Kirumi agreed, "The food is on the house, so long as you tell us how it is. We're trying something new, and Ms.Shirogane said that you'd be the perfect person to try it on."

From across the room, Tsumugi could be heard shouting, "Hey! Don't give us away, Kirumi!"

That explained a lot, Kaede thought, though she was not when she last heard Kirumi call Tsumugi ‘Ms.Shirogane.’ "Thanks, Kirumi. We'll be sure to tell you how they taste before we leave."

Kirumi gave a quick bow before going back to the counter. Kaede turned back to Shuichi to see him glance around. "Is this place always so... quiet?" he asked.

Kaede herself scanned the rest of the cafe. Only one other person was there. "Yeah, this place usually feels pretty empty. Most of their foot traffic is people ordering coffee to-go, though, so you'll probably hear that bell ring a lot during rush hour."

Shuichi had a small smile on his face as he wrapped his hands around his coffee cup. "It's nice, here, regardless. It feels more relaxing with less people."

He lifted his cup to his lips, and Kaede mirrored the action. Just one sip flooded her mouth with a familiar warmth and flavor that left behind a unique aftertaste, like trying a new thing with your best friend. Tsumugi must have made her coffee, she guessed as she took on more sip.

Kaede glanced up at Shuichi to find him simply staring down at his cup, awestruck. She could not help but laugh. "It's good, right?"

The young man nodded. "This is really incredible."

In her mind, Kaede took a guess at who made the cup. "Kirumi and Tsumugi are the best at this kind of thing."

Shuichi agreed before they both turned to their books. It felt like it took no time for them to finish their food and coffee, but after finishing the seventh chapter, Kaede glanced at her watch to find that almost an hour and a half had passed. 

Kaede tapped on the table in front of Shuichi, causing the other to pop his head up. "Sorry to interrupt, but I'm going to pay, so I'll be right back."

"Oh, I can pay for it," said Shuichi, placing a napkin in his book before closing it.

"Nope. I'm already standing, and I already have my money ready."

"At least let me pay for half," Shuichi insisted, taking some money out of his wallet and handing it to Kaede.

After Kaede paid and told Tsumugi about her thoughts on the food ("Tell Kirumi that the sandwiches went well with the coffee," said Kaede. Tsumugi was offended that Kaede did not even consider that she could have made the food, but could not deny that Kirumi was indeed the one who made it), she and Shuichi left Yuribara.

"Thanks for taking me there," Shuichi told Kaede as they walked to nowhere in particular, "That coffee might be better than anything I've ever tasted or will taste."

"Right? It's just that good," Kaede laughed. "So what was it like?"

"Pardon?"

"The coffee, of course. Describe what it tasted like."

"What it tasted like?" Shuichi went silent for a moment, his eyes thoughtful. "I'm not sure if I can really compare it to something I've tasted before, but... If I were to describe it, it was like... Going back home with your family after a long time away from them. It was a really comfortable and welcoming feeling... if that makes any sense."

Kaede considered those words, thinking back on all of the times she went to Yuribara. "Yep, Kirumi definitely made that cup. Actually, they make coffee differently for every person. They say they don't try to, but when I tried what they made for some friends, it was definitely different. Tsumugi and Kirumi stend to make coffee differently, too. Kirumi probably noticed how nervous you were and made the coffee from there."

"I didn't expect that," Shuichi admitted, "I-I don't mean this in a rude way, but Kirumi didn't strike me a such a person who would do something like that for someone like me. She seemed like the type to make things more uniform."

"Actually, Tsumugi said she did used to make coffee that tasted the same when she first started out, but I think Tsumugi's habits rubbed off on her."

"Is that so?"

From there, the conversation somehow diverged into one about what they had read of the book thus far. It was not bad at all to Kaede. She was just glad to be able to talk with Shuichi until they came across a bus stop.

Shuichi stopped by the bus stop they found, rubbing the back of his neck. "I sh-should probably take the bus back, since my place is kind of far from here," he told Kaede, "I think it'll be here soon."

Kaede decided to take that opportunity to sit on a bench by the stop. She noticed that no one else was at the stop. "I'll wait for the bus with you, then."

Shuichi stared at her for a moment, confusion in his eyes. "Ah, okay." He quickly took a seat next to Kaede.

A minute or so passed with neither of them saying a word. Kaede decided she did not like the silence between them. "Hey, thanks for spending your day off with me."

Shuichi flushed. "Oh, no, I should be the one thanking you. If you hadn't invited me, then I probably would have spent the day overworking myself, as usual."

Kaede chuckled. "So you had fun?"

"Yeah. It was a fun date."

There was that word again. ‘Date.’ Kaede still did not know the true meaning of the word. She supposed it was as good of a time as ever to get some clarity on the matter.

Kaede took a deep breath, steeling herself for a potentially awkward situation. "Hey, today's date... Is it like a 'hanging out with friends' kind of date, or is it a date between people that are... closer?"

The fact that Shuichi became a sputtering, blushing mess in response did not help with Kaede's own embarrassment. "I'm- uh- that is- I didn't think there were different kinds of d-dates- um... Sorry." Shuichi's eyes flickered every which way, but never towards Kaede. "I... guess I thought it was the closer kind. The one for people that aren't friends, but are- Actually, we aren't that, are we? I'm sorry..."

Oh. So it was like that.

Oh.

"Do you want to be 'that?'" Kaede mentally kicked herself a bit too late. There was no taking back her words. She was not sure she even wanted to take them back.

Shuichi was completely frozen, and she worried if she had somehow accidentally killed the young man. Slowly, after seconds that felt like an eternity, his mouth moved, forming syllables but no sound for even longer.

The final response was barely a whisper. It was so soft and so quick that Kaede thought she had imagined it.

"Yes."

Kaede could not believe her ears. "Really? Do you really want to date me? Like, be a couple and whatnot?"

Shuichi turned away from her, but she could still see how bright red his ears were. He nodded.

Just then, the sound of a bus approaching could be heard. The detective stood. "Th-thanks for... everything," he stuttered, still not facing Kaede. "I'll see you… later."

"Yeah. See you." Kaede watched his back as the bus came to a stop. He boarded the vehicle. She watched through the glass windows as he moved down the aisle of the bus. He took a seat next to a window that faced Kaede. When Shuichi looked out of it, she gave him a small wave. He waved back. And they kept waving to each other even as the bus moved once more. The bus left and disappeared behind a street corner, but Kaede was still waving after it.

Her arm eventually grew tired, and it was only then when she let it drop. She didn't move, letting what just happen sink in. Slowly, Kaede reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. She called Kaito.

After two rings, he picked up. "What's u-"

"I just got a boyfriend."

"You _what? _"__


	6. I Need a Win

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaede has trouble seeing Shuichi for more than a few minutes every day, so it is probably a good idea to take advantage of every chance she get.

Even though they were dating, there were always long periods of time when they did not see each other for more than a few minutes at a time. They still met at the cafe from time to time, and they did finally exchange contact information, so every night they would call one another, if not to have a long chat over nothing in particular then to simply wish each other goodnight. That was something, at least. However, that was the most they usually would see each other in a given day.

Still, it was hard for Kaede to complain. She could understand being busy with work, and she know that Shuichi was passionate about his. He had not control over his hectic schedule, if it could be called that, but he still tried his hardest to talk to Kaede at least once a day. If that was all she could ask for, then Kaede thought that she could be satisfied with it. At least, she truly thought that for a while.

"What are we even supposed to do as a couple?" Kaede pondered aloud one day in the cafe.

"I... have no idea," Shuichi admitted, “I mean, there are dates and stuff. Holding hands, kissing… uh...”

Kaede frowned as she turned the problem over in her head. She had read plenty of romance novels in her youth, but she realized that, unfortunately, most of them were about getting the object of affection but never what to do next. She needed that next. "There's also living together," she added.

Shuichi visibly winced. "Living together seems a bit..."

"Yeah, cohabiting sound like something for later," Kaede agreed, "How about we get to know eachother better first? We could both give three random facts about ourselves that the other doesn't know yet. Want to go first?"

"Okay." Shuichi paused for a moment, his brows drawing together as he thought. "Well, I used to have this hellish roommate that loved to play pranks. Second, people used to think I was dating this girl I knew back in high school, but I really only thought of her as my good friend. And I have... an uncle who also works as a detective." Kaede notice the pause before the fact about the uncle, but Shuichi's features seemed to soften. "He's the best detective I've ever known."

Kaede carefully observed Shuichi's expression for a second. He seemed to have more to say, but his mouth stayed shut. “He sounds like a pretty bright guy,” she commented.

The man nodded. “Yeah. He could solve puzzles and mysteries faster than anyone else. I always thought he was like a real life Sherlock Holmes.”

“You probably take after his mind, then.”

Kaede could not help but be amused at how Shuichi blushed. “I- uh, not really.” He took a breath. “A-anyway, it’s your turn.”

Now it was her turn to spout something about herself. She told herself to just say the first things that came to mind. "Fact one: I have two friends from college that I know live in this city. Two, I was in a traveling orchestra for a year while I was working towards becoming a teacher, and..." She cut herself off, trying to think of another fact she could share about herself. Well, there was one fact that she could tell the detective, but for some reason, she hesitated. There was no reason to not share it, she chided herself. It did not matter now. "... a childhood friend gave me this bag a few years ago," she finished, indicating to the bag that Shuichi had helped find which rested beside her at the moment.

"Ah, really?" A dull response, yet Kaede felt herself relax, only just realizing that she had tensed up as she anticipated Shuichi's words. "I guess that's why you wanted it back so badly?"

"Yeah. For nostalgia, mostly. It's always been by my side through thick and thin, you know?" Like when she decided at the last minute to throw it in with her few other belongings she would carry with her when she ran away from the town she had known for all of her life. Like when it held her homework assignments and essays for college. Like when she stored three different folders filled with sheet music in it as she hurried to her audition. Like when it was stuffed with lesson plans as she walked along once unfamiliar streets with her friend at her side on their way to their first day of being educators. Like at that very moment with Shuichi sitting beside her as she made a desperate attempt to further a relationship.

Shuichi gave her a soft smile. "Sounds like a trustworthy companion, considering how it's still in good condition even after a few years."

Kaede glanced down at the bag. Yes, it really was.

Suddenly, Kaede felt something brush against her cheek. Soft. Slightly chapped. She turned to look at the young man beside her. His face was the deepest shade of red she had seen yet. "S-sorry! W-was that, uh, not good?"

Slowly, she lifted her hand to touch the spot Shuichi kissed. It was as if the sensation was burned into her skin. "No, that was... It was okay." She had no idea what evoked the sudden boldness in Shuichi. Perhaps her plan worked and it did help them grow closer? Or maybe he noticed what Kaede was trying to do and it was more of a pity kiss. Was this supposed to be progress? Regardless, it happened, and if it meant what she thought it did, then maybe-

“Hey, are you going to be available any time soon?” Kaede asked Shuichi.

“Um, yeah, I should be able to take a day off next week.”

A voice in the back of her head said that the wait was too far away, but she waved it off. She could wait. “Then how about we meet at the aquarium that day for another date?”


	7. Clarity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is technically not their first date, but Kaede feels like it is. And she begins to realize something that she probably should have since the first date.

Kaede scanned the area in front of the aquarium. She was there on time, even if just barely. The next step was finding her boyfriend. After a couple of moments, she spotted him and made her way over to the bench where he was seated.

"Shuichi!" she called, and the young man turned his head towards her as she approached. "Did you wait long?"

Shuichi shook his head. "No, I just got here a few minutes ago." He stood, brushing off his jeans. "Should we head inside?"

As expected, the aquarium had very few visitors on a weekday, reminding Kaede of how grateful she was to be able to be a teacher that did not require much work from her after school, unlike Kaito. The massive tanks were brimming with colorful creatures, all somehow coexisting peacefully. Occasionally, as they peered through each tank, the couple would comment on some quirk of one of the animals or on how beautiful the probably-fake scenery made the fish look.

"What would happen if this entire thing broke?" Kaede wondered aloud at one point as they passed under a particularly large tank that formed an archway; a sort of tunnel made of glass on all sides to create the illusion of being in the tank itself with the fish.

Shuichi pointed his eyes up towards the top of the archway, bringing his hand to his chin. "Well, if none of the broken glass killed us right away, then the weight of all of that water might do some damage, too. And I don't think it'd be fun to be trapped under that thing." As he said that last part, he pointed up to a rather large shark passing overhead.

The two moved through the tunnel a bit faster than necessary.

Sometimes, their hands would meet and intertwine. Sometimes, Shuichi would apologize. Kaede would tell him that it was fine. Every time, Shuichi would blush just a bit, and Kaede wondered if she was doing something right. Couples were supposed to hold hands and kiss, right? If so, they why did she feel like she was forcing the relationship?

During a sea lion show, a ringtone sounded, and Shuichi excused himself to take the call. “Sorry,” he whispered as he stood up.

“It’s no problem,” Kaede assured her boyfriend. But somehow, she could not quite say the words with complete sincerity.

Once he was gone, Kaede tried to focus on the show, but she could not help but notice how empty the bench next to her felt. She remembered that back then, he would always fill in that spot next to her. She shook her head. They were not children anymore, and Shuichi was not him. Don’t think Shuichi is some replacement for him, she chided herself.

Near the end of the show, Shuichi came back, wearing a strange expression on his face. "Is something up?" Kaede asked him.

He let out a sigh. "I... I'm sorry. That call... they’re having trouble with this new case. They need a few more people on the ground."

Kaede held up her hand when it looked like Shuichi was going to go on. "Don't worry, I get it. Your work is super important." She looked back at the show. They seemed like they would wrap up soon. "You should probably get going now before the crowd makes it impossible to leave. No point in wasting time."

"Are you sure?" His face looked a bit concerned.

Kaede quickly gave him a peck on the cheek before patting his back. Was that pushing it too much? "Don't worry about it. Good luck with work, Shuichi."

Shuichi nodded. The smile he wore told her that he was trying his best. She turned back to the show to see the sea lions perform one last trick, Shuichi's footsteps being drowned out by the crowd as he left once more.

Well, _something _seemed to have happened on their date, she thought as the room filled with applause for the sea lions. Too many somethings. And none of it felt right.__


	8. Bad at Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaede has to confront a regrettable reality, and she has to act eventually. How else is she supposed to handle the truth?

Ever since their date was cut short, an idea had planted itself into Kaede's mind. With each interaction between her and Shuichi, the thought only grew until it was screaming at her. This relationship would not last. Sure, they could go on dates, but those were few and far between. With how little they saw each other, there was reason in Kaede’s mind to doubt that they were even dating.

At last, Kaede decided to confront the young man about their relationship on their date to the movies.

"Hey, Shuichi," she started as they left the theater, "Do you... love me?"

"L-love?" Shuichi exclaimed, seeming to be caught off guard by the question.

"It's just that... We've been dating for two months now, and I know it was all cute and sweet in the beginning, but I just... wanted to know it you're getting tired of this," Kaede told him, "Oh, don't worry about offending me if you answer honestly, though. I think I'd be even angrier if I knew you were lying."

"Aha, right." He went silent for a few moments, seeming to think over his response. "It probably seems like that, huh. The getting tired of this part, I mean." He looked up at Kaede, and she was hit by the guilt of seeing something between melancholy and regret in his eyes. “Sorry I couldn’t be around so much.”

“No, don’t apologize. That’s not-” She cut herself off. That was _exactly _it . She could not love him just because he was not there all the time, she realized bitterly. She just _had _to have someone by her side all the time. It was absolutely pathetic, she chided herself. “Look, it’s not your fault. It’s mine. I guess… Even though I asked for this, I should have realized that I wasn’t ready for a relationship. So I’M the sorry one, Shuichi, but…” She took a deep breath. She was really doing it. “... I think we should stop dating. At least go back to being friends.”____

____She could see Shuichi’s eye’s widen. "Are you... really okay with this? You know, ending this."_ _ _ _

____Was she? Kaede did not stop to think over her answer. "You’ll just be miserable if you tried to date a needy person like me."_ _ _ _

____"If you say so." Slowly, hesitantly, Shuichi held out his hand for Kaede to shake. "But... we're still going to be friends, right?"_ _ _ _

____Kaede took his hand. "Yeah, still friends."_ _ _ _

____The two headed to a nearby restaurant. As friends. They still talked. As friends. And they parted ways on a good note. As friends._ _ _ _

____Kaede sighed as she headed towards Kaito's apartment. In terms of a date, that one was probably a flop. But the way it turned out was fine with Kaede. It was not like they cut off all contact with each other. She would make the most of the outcome._ _ _ _

____At the apartment, she was greeted by a Kaito that was practically beaming. "Geez, what's up with you?" she questioned._ _ _ _

____Her friend let out a giggle, which was a bit creepy with him. "Maki just said that she'll be living with me from now on," he told her, vibrating with joy, "Can you believe it? It's like we're married!"_ _ _ _

____"Don't get ahead of yourself, idiot." Kaede turned to see Maki emerging from the hallway. Even though her words were cold, she seemed rather pleased with the arrangement. "I decided to save some money for going back to school," she explained to Kaede, "I want a better degree so I can teach in a university."_ _ _ _

____"That's one heck of a step up from reading picture books to preschoolers," Kaede pointed out._ _ _ _

____"Harumaki can do it with her brains," Kaito gushed, hugging his girlfriend._ _ _ _

____"Stop with your flattery," she gently scolded with a smile. "Needless to say," Maki continued, "I won't be living in my old apartment for much longer, so don't go there once I'm done moving."_ _ _ _

____"Of course," Kaede responded, "Good luck with college."_ _ _ _

____Maki gave her a sheepish smile before starting to cook. Thirty minutes later, the three were sharing dinner and chatting about work and reminiscing over their time together when all of them were college students. All the while, Kaede tried to forget about her breakup, and thankfully, neither of her friends said anything that might bring it up._ _ _ _

____Unfortunately, when she left her friends for the night, the events from earlier that day came back to her and would not leave her alone. Questions swarmed in her head, but she tried her hardest to shot them down. She was not ready to face them yet._ _ _ _

____Kaede stopped by a liquor store and came out with a case of cheap beer. As a teacher, she restrained herself from drinking so much, but it was a Saturday night and she needed to get her mind off of things._ _ _ _

____Drinking alone in a tiny, run-down apartment would be a fairly pathetic situation to be found in, but Kaede felt like it was fitting for someone like herself._ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't give up on this fic yet! We're barely halfway through this roller coaster ride!


	9. You Don't Know My Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After having broke up with Shuichi, Kaede had expected for her routine to go back to how it was. She had thought that, but no matter what, life seems to be ever shifting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaah, another late chapter! Though this is just a short filler chapter anyway.

One afternoon after work, Kaede found herself sitting at a table in Yuribara. She returned to her schedule before Shuichi came into her life, for the most part. She still went to that cafe from time to time to meet up with Shuichi, but he was growing even busier with work, so they mostly chatted over the phone. Yuribara still served the best coffee, and that was all she needed.

"You've come a bit more frequently now," Kirumi observed as she set down a fresh cup of coffee in front of Kaede.

"I broke up with Shuichi," Kaede told her bluntly, taking a sip of her coffee. It tasted like finding something in your home you thought you had lost forever somewhere in the vast expanses of the world.

"Oh, really? I'm sorry to hear that."

Kaede raised one eyebrow and glanced at the barista. Kirumi did not look at her when she said that, and her voice seemed more monotone than usual. Ah, Shuichi's tendency to observe seemed to have rubbed off on her. "Is something wrong?" she asked Kirumi.

"No, no, everything's fine," Kirumi assured her, "I was just... thinking."

"About what?" Kaede prompted.

Kirumi hesitated to respond. "You two... seemed to enjoy each other's company. He- You seemed fortunate to be able to find someone like that."

"Yes, I was," Kaede agreed, "We're friends now, and it feels better than dating him, you know? I think we work better platonically than romantically."

"I see." Kirumi's eyes were thoughtful, thinking. "By the way, we’re getting a piano this Saturday. Kaito told us that you like to play." She turned. “I have to get back to work now. Enjoy.”

Before Kaede could respond, Kirumi hurriedly left the table and returned to her place behind the counter. Kaede frowned into her coffee. Was Kirumi avoiding her? It seemed like that was the case. She took another sip and concluded that Tsumugi was the one who made the cup.


	10. Ghost of Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaede finds herself feeling excited for playing the new piano in Yuribara, but when she needs to think of a song to actually play, the song that is chosen ends up up digging up more than she could ever be ready for.

"Is that really everything you have?" Kaito asked his girlfriend, who shrugged.

"The old place was already furnished when I moved, so this was all I needed."

On a Saturday afternoon, Maki finally moved in with Kaito after taking care of some last obligations she had at her previous residence. Kaede and Kaito had planned on helping her move, but she only had three boxes that she easily carried into the apartment on her own. Now the three were sorting through Maki's cookware and fitting them in with the few utensils and pots that Kaito had.

“Anyway, it’s better that we finish early, since Kaede wants to check out that piano Tsumugi bought,” Maki pointed out.

As much as she would love to help out her friend, Kaede had to admit that she was excited to have a piano close by. Of course Kaito and Maki would know this, too -they had known her for long enough to tell Tsumugi about it. Thus, as the three friends walked to the coffeeshop, she felt like she was almost vibrating with excitement.

It was not quite rush hour when the friends walked through the door of Yuribara. As per usual, Kirumi and Tsumugi were standing behind the counter and greeted them when they came in. “Was that the delivery truck out there?” Kaede asked Tsumugi as she approached.

The woman glanced past her to the people packing up the truck parked by the sidewalk. “Yep. They just finished moving the piano, actually. I had them put it over there for now.” She pointed off to the side, and Kaede followed her finger to see that, tucked away in a corner was an upright piano. “They already tuned it and everything, so go at it as much as you’d like.”

She felt like she was floating towards the piano, each step bringing the instrument closer and closer to reality. “Woah, you guys really did buy one,” she breathed out.

Tsumugi chuckled behind her. “Of course. It was on sale, so it was the perfect opportunity.”

Kaede reached out to those black and white keys, brushing her fingertips over each one, almost feeling the notes that they had the potential to produce. “What should I play?” She asked her friends.

“Anything is good,” Maki told her, and Kaito and the two baristas said the same thing. That, however, was not help whatsoever.

Then she had an idea, and before giving too much thought to it, acted on her whim. She grabbed her phone out of her bag and quickly called Shuichi’s number. It was only two rings laters that she realized that maybe the act would be inconvenient for the young man.

Shuichi picked up on the fourth ring. “Hello?”

Kaede quickly filled him in on the situation. “So could you think of a song if it’s not too much trouble.”

For a few moments, there was silence on Shuichi’s end, so Kaede waited patiently for his response. "Well, if you don't mind..." Shuichi started, clearing his throat before continuing, “A friend told me about this one song, so could you play, um... 'Clair de Lune,' I think it was called?"

Just hearing the name of the song felt like being hit in the throat with a brick. "That was his favorite song." _His _song. The song that he always asked Kaede to play, even after she taught him how to play it. 'It's not the same when Kaede's not playing it,' he had told her. 'I like when you play it the best.'__

__"Who's favorite?"_ _

__Kaede did not realize she had spoken aloud until Kaito spoke up. Both of her friends were giving her a curious look. She shook her head as if it could shake of the memories. "Just an old friend," she told them, “Anyway, thanks Shuichi.”_ _

__Just before she hung up, Shuichi said, “Uh, if you don’t mind, could I listen to you? Through the phone, of course.”_ _

__While that request caught her off guard, she did not see why not. She gently set aside the phone on the piano before looking down at the piano keys. Taking a deep breath, she lifted her hands to the keys. She played a few experimental scales, trying to get used to the the feel of the piano. Then, taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and called upon a dusty memory._ _

__Her hands flew across the keys, one note flowing into the next. It was not difficult play, the song permanently ingrained into her bones. Around her, everything melted away, and all that was left was her, the song, and him. He who sat quietly just a few steps away, soaking in the melody. She who tried so hard to express her feelings through her music, knowing that the true passion driving the song forward would go unnoticed this time too. And still, she played on, hoping that maybe this time would change. She hoped and hoped and hoped. She hoped for years that passed like an eternity. She hoped until her hope was around her neck too tightly. And even as she suffocated, she hoped._ _

__And then her hope ran dry. Her hands could no longer play to fulfill her hope. Only to say goodbye. Goodbye to a dear friend. Goodbye to her first and last love._ _

__The last note was held out for too long and not long enough, like it was an object that she loved but would only get in her way if she kept it. She let it go, and a moment of silence followed. Then there was applause. Not from one person, but multiple people. His image vanished, replaced by the people who were really there: her friends, the baristas, a few patrons around the shop, and a young man through a phone._ _

__Kaede felt her face warm up a little as she gave a quick bow and 'thank you' to the audience. She was so caught up in the nostalgia and the music that she had forgotten that she was in a coffee shop._ _

__"That was... incredible," Shuichi exasperated through the phone’s speaker._ _

__Kaede gave an embarrassed laugh. “Thanks,” she said into the phone. Shuichi had to go back to work, so they said their goodbyes before Kaede ended the call, though perhaps she did so quicker than necessary in retrospect._ _

__Maki was fiddling with her phone, and Kaede mentally groaned. She knew what that meant but asked about it anyway. "Did you just record all that?"_ _

__The other girl gave a curt nod. "The whole thing, to be exact." This time, Kaede let her groan be audible. "What? It was good," Maki told her._ _

__It had been a while since Kaede had actually played seriously, and the fact that so many people heard was embarrassing enough. She and her friends ordered coffee to go, with Kaede wanting to leave the shop soon to maybe calm her flustered state by taking a walk. Well, the cups ended up being on the house, so maybe performing in Yuribara was not so bad._ _


	11. It's Been a While

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaede leaves the school later than usual that day from teaching a student. Yet this walk does not take her to the person she expected to find in the city, but instead a ghost from her past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to my friend Cal for helping me find titles for a few of the chapters thus far, including this one. I'm sure I'll have to ask her for more titles later on, too.

When she left the school building, Kaede noticed that the evening felt slightly cooler than the afternoon usually did in the summer. It was not bad, and she would not mind staying later after school if it meant avoiding the heat, though she wondered if she would still like it when it was winter and the sun had long since sunk below the horizon and the air was cold all the time.

Of course, she had not initially planned to get out so late. A student had asked Kaede to teach her how to play the piano. There was no way Kaede could say no to her students, so she spent the afternoon in the music classroom with the girl, teaching her the basics of piano playing. Kaede did not have any beginner level sheet music on her, nor was there any in the school's storage, so she planned on looking through her old books. Or did she bring her old books? If they weren't in her apartment, then they were certainly still back at her parents' home. It had been a while since she called them. She racked her brain to see if she still remembered the number.

Speaking of calling, she should probably call Shuichi to tell him about the change in schedule. As Kaede searched through her contact numbers, she started heading towards Maki's apartment.

Shuichi picked up after the fourth ring. "Ah, hey Kaede," came his voice from the phone's speaker.

"Hey, Shuichi," she greeted back, "You got my text, right?" He confirmed it. "Yeah, sorry for canceling our plans so suddenly. You still had a good afternoon, right?"

"Mm, yeah, I did."

"Good. That's good." She took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm super sorry, but I don't think I'll be able to be there on weekdays in the afternoon. Weekends are still fine, though."

"Then are evenings alright?" Shuichi asked.

"No. You stay up way too late when you work, so you need to rest in the evening when you can," Kaede shot back.

"Really? I think- uh Kaede?"

"What's up?" She subconsciously looked up, unsure of why Shuichi suddenly cut himself off.

"Why are you heading this way?" she faintly heard in front of her, the voice echoing back a bit louder in the phone.

And sure enough, before her stood Shuichi, along with a slightly taller man whose head was a bird nest of green hair a piercings.

Kaede hung up her phone before hurrying towards the two men. The new one's piercings looked a bit familiar, and the closer she got to them, the more she wondered if maybe the man was-

"That bag. I gave it to-" The man only mouthed out her name, but it was more than enough to confirm her suspicions.

"Rantaro?" she tested.

His eyes lit up. "It really is you!" He quickly gave her a hug before stepping back a little. "Gosh, it's been a while. Years even, I’d say."

"Yeah, that sounds about right. Why are you here? You stalking me?" Kaede added with a laugh. It looked like she was still able to talk to her old friend naturally enough.

Rantaro shook his head with a smile. "Like I could even if I wanted to. All you said was 'I'm off to college' without any hint of where you're going and no way of contacting you. Your parents didn't even know, for God's sake!"

"Sorry, sorry. I was so excited to leave home and start playing in a real orchestra that I forgot all of the important stuff." Well, that was not very true when it came to Rantaro, but she did forget to tell her parents until they mentioned it when she first called them on a pay phone.

"And your old phone number?"

"I threw out that phone for a new one, but I realized too late that I didn't write down any of my old contacts," she explained. Lying to Rantaro was not something she wanted to do, but she rehearsed a similar situation in her head so many times that the words came naturally. After all, the real reason was much more stupid.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Shuichi shifting around in one place. The poor man must have felt uncomfortable, seeing as he was suddenly forgotten about.

Rantaro probably noticed, too, for he turned to the detective and said, "So, uh, you also know Kaede?"

"Huh? Oh, yes, I do," Shuichi mumbled out before asking Kaede, "Was that friend you mentioned a few times before... was he Rantaro?"

"Yes, that was this guy," Kaede confirmed, "But you two also know each other?"

"Yeah, that’s a funny story," said Rantaro with an easy grin, "Shuichi was nice enough to help me with my drunk coworker a while ago, and long story short, we hit it off from there."

"Oh, so we both got lucky to meet Shuichi,” Kaede laughed.

"Lucky...?" Shuichi shook his head before clearing his throat. "Anyway, why are you heading this way, Kaede?"

"I was just-" Suddenly, Kaede remembered something more recent that was probably important. "... Maki moved to Kaito's place, didn't she?" she groaned.

"Do you want us to come with you until you're there?" Shuichi offered

"It IS dangerous for a girl to be out alone at this hour," Rantaro added.

"Ah, geez, you both don't need to worry about me so much," Kaede pouted, though she was flattered that her friends cared so much about her. "I'll have you know that I can hold my own in a fight. Now if my bodyguards would let me be a big girl now, I'll be off now."

"If you say so..." Shuichi trailed off for a moment before saying, "Then I guess I'll see you this weekend, if that's alright."

"Yep," she confirmed before turning to leave for Kaito's apartment, "See you then."

She knew that she would have to meet Rantaro again; they had the same mutual friend now in the same city. She would have to get used to interacting with him again, though she hoped that it would involve less lying this next time.


	12. I Caught Myself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaede finds herself in the cafe with her ex-boyfriend and her once best friend and crush. She thinks that she might be able to return to being friends with Rantaro again, but adulthood never quite works out that way.

Kaede found herself in the cafe on a Saturday afternoon, contemplating her mindset when she agreed to her sipping almost coffee with her former crush and ex-boyfriend.

The day before they met up, Shuichi asked Kaede if Rantaro could join them, and of course she said yes. Of course she hated herself that much. It did not matter, she told herself. It was a chance to reset her feelings and begin the relationship over again.

Now when she would believe her own lie was another matter that was to be addressed never.

"So this is the cafe you were telling me about," Rantaro commented, sipping his tea.

"Yeah. It's near my work, so I go here a lot," Shuichi explained. "Oh, but Kaede knows a good coffee shop not far from here."

Kaede nodded. "It's called Yuribara," she told Rantaro, "This really sweet lady runs it, and there's only one other barista, but she’s also very nice. They make the best coffee I've ever tasted."

"Really? I'll have to check it out sometime."

The conversation wandered off into some random direction from there. It was not so bad, Kaede decided. Just being friends with these two boys was relaxing. Rantaro created a soothing atmosphere around them, and Shuichi could make the world feel new without it seeming overwhelmingly big. Maybe she could get used to these kinds of afternoons.

Happy times could not go on forever, of course. Shuichi had to leave after a while because of yet another case he was working on. "I'm sorry," he repeated for the fifth time, "It'd be better if we solved this one quickly, and my partner would probably get mad if I'm not back by-"

Rantaro raised a hand to stop him. "Don't worry. We've already said it's fine. It's important to complete a pressing task at hand."

"Speaking of," Kaede added, "you should get going to complete your task of getting to work on time. You've already spent enough of it apologizing."

Shuichi laughed and blushed a bit before saying one more goodbye and leaving the cafe, leaving only Kaede and Rantaro at the table. Kaede wondered if she should also leave, or offer the option to the young man next to her. She did not want to be rude, but she wondered if Rantaro would prefer being alone with her or not.

Luckily, Rantaro spoke up first. "You know, we haven't actually taken the time to catch up yet."

Kaede took a sip of coffee to try to calm her nerves, though it probably would would make her jittery, when she thought about it. "Yeah, it's been a few years. You probably have some stories, right?"

"You too," he retorted, "I mean, so many things have changed since the last time I saw you. You became a grown woman that I'm not even sure I know now."

"I don't think I've changed that much," Kaede laughed, "But what about you? I don't remember the last time you said you would settle down to work, and yet here you are, making a new city your home."

"Hey, my dad's company pays well enough," Rantaro shot back, "A position in this city's branch was open, so I had to jump on it while I could."

Kaede shook her head. "Back then, you never would have thought that way. Don't tell me you've also given up on traveling the world."

"I'm working a boring office job _because _it'll help me reach my dream." Rantaro's face was serious, but Kaede could see the thirst for adventure in his eyes, just like back then. "If I'm good enough, then the company might transfer me around from place to place. And if I save up enough, I'll be able to travel to all of those places they showed off in those magazines we found. It's going to take longer than I wanted, but there's no way I'd give up traveling."__

__Kaede chuckled. "Mm, yeah, that seems about right. I guess that's one thing that won't change any time soon."_ _

__Rantaro leaned forward a bit. "And what about you? What has Kaede been up to?"_ _

__Kaede filled him in on some of the milestones in her life. Meeting friends in college, joining an orchestra for a while, getting her new job, and so on. Yet she did not tell him everything. Things like her drinking problem or her ended relationship were put on hold. She felt that she needed to keep some things for a later time._ _

__Eventually, Kaede got a text from Kaito for her help with something at the high school, giving her a good reason to leave. The conversation was starting to die off, anyway._ _

__Rantaro stood up with her. "Wait, could we exchanged numbers real fast?" he asked, "You know, so we can contact each other."_ _

__Kaede's breath caught in her throat. There was no reason to hesitate, she scolded herself. It would be just like back then. "Sure," she agreed at last, pulling out her phone._ _

__When Kaede left the cafe, she stopped herself from breathing a sigh of relief. She should relax more. It was Rantaro, after all. They could go back to being friends again. They could return to how things were, when they were friends. She pulled out her phone and scrolled to the newly acquired contact number._ _

__She could remember how things were. How they talked and joked about all of life’s issues. Yet she was too big of a coward to tell him the one thing that used to always press on her mind. Their conversations became one-sided, and she ended up pushing him away for her own selfish feelings._ _

__Was that how she wanted things to be again?_ _


	13. The Lonely

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaede knows that she had spent a lot of her time with other people, so it is about time she gave some time to herself. Yet in the dark of night in the emptiness of a room, she must come to terms with just how much of her life was built on the company of others.

"You're learning this really quickly," Kaede beamed to the young girl beside her. The student was able to play a duet with her earlier than expected, which came as a pleasant surprise. The student was certainly happy about her progress.

With a glance at the clock on the wall, Kaede could tell that they should call it a day. They still had some time before everyone had to leave, but she should not eat up so much of the student's evening. Thus, she sent the girl on her way before packing up some loose books and papers.

Kaede wondered if she should stop by Kaito's apartment for dinner, but reminded herself that there was a couple there now. She should not interrupt whatever alone time her friends had together. The times when she ate alone in her own apartment were few and far between, but it would probably be better if she increased the frequency. After all, she was supposed to be a grown up now. She stopped by a grocery store on her way home, but only came out with some cups of instant ramen and some other miscellaneous things. She did not feel like doing any serious cooking that night.

Kaede had planned on going straight home after she bought her depressing dinner, but when she came up on the Yuribara, she momentarily paused. The lights were still on, and she could see the two baristas waiting for some customers to arrive. It was not yet closing time for the coffee shop, and though she had planned on drinking a few of the many bottles of beer she had at home, some freshly made coffee sounded much more appealing.

The bell rung as she entered, and both Kirumi and Tsumugi looked up from what they were doing. "Ah, hello again, Kaede," Tsumugi called as Kirumi hurriedly moved to stand behind the cash register, "You must have had a long day, huh?"

"Yeah," Kaede agreed, "At this rate, you'll be able to retire early thanks to me. I'll get a cup of my regular again."

Kirumi rung up the order as Tsumugi went through the motions of making coffee. It was hypnotic, watching the two work like a well oiled machine (or at least a well practiced one). As soon as Tsumugi had finished brewing the coffee and poured it into the cup, the cup was passed to Kirumi, who poured in the cream without missing a beat. Tsumugi came up beside her to pop on the lid.

"One hot coffee to go," Kirumi announced, carefully sliding the cup to Kaede.

"When I said the usual, I wasn't expecting the average of you two," Kaede chuckled as she accepted the coffee.

"It's something we did when Kirumi was still in training," Tsumugi grinned, "Somehow, I feel all nostalgic. I'm plainly getting old."

Kaede took a sip of the coffee and found its warmth wrapping around her like newly made memories. "This really is the combination of you both."

"Well, we did both make it," Tsumugi sang with a hint of pride in her voice.

Kaede took another sip before dropping some change into the tip jar. "I'll be going now," she announced, "I'll be back tomorrow, as well."

"See you tomorrow, then," Tsumugi sang. Kirumi gave a small wave as Kaede turned to go.

Upon opening the door to her apartment, Kaede found that she was liking her decision to buy coffee even more. Compared to the warm atmosphere of the coffee shop, the apartment seemed like a prison cell. Sighing, she shut and locked the door behind her before removing her shoes. It took a few moments of leaping over and around sheets upon sheets of musical scores before she reached the kitchenette. Kaede got some water boiling on the small stove, then hopped to her small, low table, where she finally put down her grocery bags. She knew she should clean up the place, but it was not like she ever had guests over, and she did not spend a lot of time at home, anyways.

She opened up her laptop, hoping to find some music for her student. This was the most she had ever played in quite a while -ever since she quit the orchestra, really. Why did she quit? She had fun playing with so many talented people. She probably could have made it work even after she became a teacher.

Kaede took another sip of coffee and sighed. She should finish it before it became cold. The water was probably close to boiling, so she took out a cup of instant ramen and opened it a bit so she could pour the water inside. Then she took a few wide and wobbly steps to the stove, turned it off, and picked up the kettle full of hot water. Eventually, she managed to make it back to the table and pour the water into the cup without burning herself. Not wanting to go back on the treacherous pathway of discarded paper, she used an old music magazine as a pot holder for the still very hot kettle.

A few minutes later, she was able to eat. She slurped up a few noodles, then wished she had checked what flavors she got a bit closer. She would still finish eating the cup, but she would have preferred to buy more of what she actually liked.

She ate some more. In the hopes to save a few dollars on her electrical bill, she always kept the lights off in her apartment. However, she wondered if she should make an exception just for one night. Eating a pathetic meal alone in messy, dark apartment was...

"Depressing," she muttered to herself.

At some point, she received a message from Rantaro asking if she wanted to eat dinner with him. She wanted to agree to meet up with him and escape the darkness she subjected herself to, but instead she told him that she had already made dinner. She told herself that it was bad to waste food. Even if it was not her favorite.

Late into the evening, all off her friends sent her messages wishing her a good night, as usual. The gesture made her smile a little.

Kaede went to bed wondering if she would get used to staying alone in the dark. Maybe it would be slightly more bearable if she cleaned up a bit.


	14. Outside Looking In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If she were to admit it, Kaede knew that she was doing quite horribly trying to live on her own as an adult. Being around Rantaro was not helping much either, with all of the painful memories his presence gave her.

On weekends during the day, Kaede spent her time with Shuichi and Rantaro, and the evenings were passed with Kaito and Maki. Or at least, they usually were. Sometimes one of them had work -or in Kaito and Maki's case, school work- to attend to. She did not want to interfere with their lives, so on the days when she was not invited over, she might pass the time by browsing the internet, reading, napping, or wandering around the city. She knew it was probably a bad idea to walk around alone with nothing but her phone, as she knew from her run in with the purse thief earlier that year, but it did not phase her. She would find herself getting drunk if she stayed inside for too long.

Of course, she never really stopped drinking. She was falling back into having more than enough beers in the evenings. She told herself to stop, especially on school nights, and sometimes, she would manage to avoid grabbing a bottle. But those sober evenings were not frequent as they should have been. They were not as frequent as they had been.

"Hey, Kaede?" Rantaro started one day. It was a weekend, meaning that the young man usually had both days off. Unless he had to meet with someone or was off on a business trip, of course. "You haven't been looking very well lately. Is some wrong?"

"Ah, really?" She felt drained. She always felt that way recently. "I'm fine. I just slept in too much, is all."

"Really?" Rantaro looked unconvinced, but he dropped the subject. "Anyways, Shuichi said he could meet up with us today, right?"

"Did he?" Kaede pulled out her phone and saw that the man in question had indeed sent a message saying such a thing. Actually, she had a lot of messages that she had yet to read. She should really check her phone more. "Ah. He did."

"Do you want to go meet up with him?" Rantaro asked.

Of course her answer was yes. She never had anything else to do on a weekend.

In the cafe, Shuichi was already sitting at a table. Kaede seated herself across from the young man, and Rantaro took a chair next to him. "Good morning, Shuichi," Rantaro greeted him with a smile, "It's still morning, right?"

"It's still too early for lunch, so I'd say so," Kaede commented, "Hello, Shuichi."

"Hello, Rantaro, Kaede," Shuichi returned with a slight nod of his head. "It's been a while since we've all been together like this."

"Sorry, I've just been on so many business trips and the flights are always delayed," Rantaro apologized.

Shuichi shook his head. "No, it's my fault for always having work on the days you're off."

"So both of us are at fault?" Rantaro laughed, "Then we should really be apologizing to Kaede."

"No, don't worry about it." She knew the looks on their faces meant that they were actually about to do it, and she would not be having that today. "I'm fine so long as you two don't disappear from the face of the Earth."

"Are you sure?" Shuichi questioned, "It doesn't feel right to not see you for long periods of time."

"Really, I'm sure," Kaede assured him, "I don't get lonely that easily." She might. Sometimes.

"Well, if you're fine with it..." Shuichi trailed off, but he did not seem satisfied with the conclusion. It did not matter to Kaede. She did not want her friends to worry about her.

"Anyway," Rantaro put in, "What have you both been up to lately?"

Kaede had little to share about herself. The only thing that was significant was that her student was improving. Shuichi, on the other hand, had some very eventful weeks. He said that he had recently gotten a promotion and had a chance to work on more interesting cases.

As Shuichi described the events with a certain enthusiasm, Kaede noticed something with Rantaro. There was a look in his eyes that he watched Shuichi with that she could not recognize. It was soft and caring, but not in the way that he usually looked at friends and family. Perhaps it was a face he had developed in the years when they were apart. Perhaps it was something that was new even for him.

Kaede's mind drifted, and she made it seem like she was writing lesson plans in a notebook she brought. The other two did not seem to mind, instead talking among themselves about Rantaro's recent business trip. In all actuality, she delved into the recesses of her memory to try to connect that odd face to something, anything. Nothing of the sorts emerged, but she did realize something else.

She had never seen Rantaro fall in love before.


	15. She Used to Be Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaede tries to be mostly sober one night, and it is probably a good thing she is. After all, how could she help her friends otherwise?

That night, Kaede only had one bottle of beer, though it was not so much self-control as it was necessity. She had to make a test for her music classes, so she thought wanted to make it easy, like clapping out a rhythm. However, in order to write something intelligible, that meant being mostly sober.

Her phone buzzed next to her. She picked it up and saw that Kaito was calling. Might as well answer it.

"Hello?" she said as she put the phone up to her ear.

"Have you seen Maki?" Kaito's voice almost screamed through the speakers.

"What?" His voice was the most distressed she had ever heard him. "No, I haven't seen her toda-"

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" There was a muffled "thud" as Kaito's voice was suddenly quieter, as if the phone had been dropped.

"Kaito?" Kaede shouted into her phone, "Kaito, calm down for a second and tell me what's up. Why are you asking about Maki?"

There was a faint sound of Kaito taking a few deep breaths. "Listen," Kaito started, his voice a normal volume again, "Maki and I got into this big fight. God, it was a really stupid fight, too, but she got fed up with me and left. It's almost been half an hour since then, and she's still not back." Another shaky breath. "Kaede, I'm scared. For her. What if something happened to her? She's a small girl, and it's late at night, and I have no clue where she is-"

"Kaito," Kaede interrupted as his voice started to raise again, "Calm down. Deep breaths, Kaito." The sound from the phone confirmed that he was doing as she said. "There's no need to worry about Maki. She's strong. You know that she could beat at least three pros in a fight without breaking a sweat. She'll come back safe and sound soon-"

Suddenly, there was a soft knock from the front door. That was odd, Kaede thought. Who could be at the door at that hour? "Hold on," she told Kaito. She stood up and made her way to the door, careful not to slip on any papers. Peering through the peephole, she saw-

"Kaito, I have to go," she told her friend as she started unlocking the door, "I'll call you back later." She hung up just as she unlocked the door.

"What's up, Maki?" she attempted to greet in a normal tone.

The girl's eyes darted to the phone that was still in Kaede's hand. "Were you talking with Kaito?"

"Yeah," Kaede admitted.

Maki's hands clenched as she lowered her eyes towards the ground. "I can't even remember what started it. We just... ended up fighting somehow."

Kaede was not sure what exactly to say. She had seen the couple fight, regret, and make up many times in the past. However, from how pained and scared Kaito was over the phone and the absolute defeat that was scrawled across Maki's face, she knew that this was different. Maybe it was because they were living together.

"Come inside," Kaede said when the silence had stretched out for too long. Maki hesitated for a few beats, simply staring at Kaede. Then the girl followed her inside…

... Only to have her stop dead in her tracks once again at the entrance, looking down at the floor. Except this time, it was out of surprise.

Too late, Kaede realized the reason for this. She had not cleaned up as she would have liked to, and she even left some empty beer bottles lying around. "Ah, sorry," she apologized, "I forgot to clean up earlier."

Maki said nothing. Instead, she silently took off her shoes before walking over to the mess, falling to her hands and knees, and began picking up the sheet music around her. "No, wait!" Kaede cried out, "Maki, don't worry about it. I'll clean it up myself right now."

The girl paused as she picked up another musical score and glanced at her. "Help me with this," she commanded. Kaede complied.

As they cleaned, the only sound that could be heard was the shuffling of papers and the occasional "clink" of a bottle. The silence felt odd to Kaede, but Maki's face looked like she was lost in thought, so Kaede let her be until they were finished.

At one point, Kaede went to reach for another paper only to find that there were none left on the floor. She observed the newly cleaned room, not quite used to the floor being so bare. "Thanks, Maki," she said softly.

Maki handed her the stack of papers she had collected. "I'm not sure if all of the music is together correctly, though," she admitted.

"That's fine." In all honesty, Kaede did not pay much attention to that herself. She could just sort through it later.

Maki eyed the bottles they had gathered into one pile as she sat on the floor next to Kaede. "Did you...?"

"No, only one tonight," Kaede answered. "The rest kinda just... accumulated."

"I thought you got over your problem," Maki frowned, "You said you'd limit yourself when you became a teacher."

"Yeah, and I _was _able to. For a while, anyway." Kaede let out a sigh when she remembered the point she had built herself up to. God, she had fallen so far. "Honestly, I don't know why I fell back as hard as I did. I was doing so well."__

__"I guess old habits die harder than that."_ _

__"Yeah..."_ _

__The two sat in silence for a few more beats. Kaede was not quite sure about what else to say that might make Maki feel better. Was there anything she could say?_ _

__"... Should Kaito and I really stay together?"_ _

___What? ____ _

____"Wha- Hey, do you mean that-" Kaede could not even begin to believe that what she was about to say had the possibility of being true. "-that you want to break up with him?"_ _ _ _

____"I don't _want _to," she clarified, "but we fight so much, and I always end up making him upset. I... have to wonder, is all."___ _ _ _

______Kaede took a moment to consider those words. Yes, they fought a lot, but they also had many happy times, as well. And unlike with her and Shuichi or even Rantaro, they had no reservations between them. The relationship they had built up over the years was something special; something Kaede could never achieve. Could a dispute really ruin that?_ _ _ _ _ _

______"What do you think about Kaito?"_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Huh?"_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Your relationship, I mean," Kaede clarified, "A better question would probably be... Why do you want to stay with him?"_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Why...?" Maki looked down at her feet as she played with some of her hair. "Well, he's... my only other best friend besides you, and... I can put my trust in him." She drew her knees up closer to her chest. "Yeah, I can lay myself out in the open with him -risk everything for him, even- since I know he'll do the same for me. I... he inspires me to become better than I ever was, and the only reason I try so hard is to be able to be with him."_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Do you want to stay with him for the rest of your life?"_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Yes," Maki answered without hesitation._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Then you're going to be okay, you and him," Kaede told her friend._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Do you really think so?"_ _ _ _ _ _

______Kaede placed a hand on Maki's shoulder to reassure her. "You guys both want to make this work, so I think that you can work it out if you set your minds to it."_ _ _ _ _ _

______Maki gave a small smile. "Thanks, Kaede."_ _ _ _ _ _

______It was very late by the time the girls had sorted everything out, so Maki decided to stay the night. Kaede called back Kaito, just as promised, to prevent him from having a heart attack. He seemed to calm down at least a little bit when she told him that his girlfriend was at her apartment. She then went to work pulling out her spare blanket._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Sorry for not having a bed for you to sleep on," Kaede apologized as she set down the blanket._ _ _ _ _ _

______Maki assured her that it was fine. They wished each other "good night" before Maki laid down and pulled up the futon. Kaede turned back to her laptop, thinking that another beer would be nice._ _ _ _ _ _

______Not tonight, she reminded herself. She had to stay sober tonight._ _ _ _ _ _


	16. Would You Rather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the morning, Kaede returns with Maki to Kaito's apartment. When she returns home, perhaps it was the empty floor, or the newly made stacks of sheet music, or the sentiment scene she had just witnessed, but something had changed.

In the morning, Kaede took Maki to Yuribara before they went to the couple's apartment. Tsumugi made them a sort of breakfast sandwich free of charge, so Kaede could not really complain, but she still thought that Kirumi's cooking was better. Unfortunately, Tsumugi explained when asked, Kirumi called in sick that day. Kaede had to make due without the polite girl's presence for that day.

In front of the couple's apartment door, Kaede had barely knock on the door before it flew open, revealing a disheveled Kaito with bags under his eyes, as if he had barely gotten enough sleep.

His gaze immediately snapped to Maki. There was a beat of silence between the two, and Kaede felt a need to hold her breath, as if even the slightest movement would disturb the moment her friends were having.

At last, Maki made the first move. "Hey."

Kaito broke from his trance and embraced his girlfriend in a tight hug. "Oh god, I'm so, so sorry," he almost sobbed into her hair, "I'm such an idiot."

"I’m an idiot, too," Maki replied back, wrapping her arms around the man.

Kaede smiled as she watched the couple reunite. She turned and left, deciding that she would leave them to their own.

Later, she received two different texts from both Kaito and Maki to thank her. She could not help but laugh a little at her friends' gratitude. After all, she was just acting as any friend would.

With the apartment being so clean and lacking any other person, the space felt surprisingly large despite the area being small. She stumbled to her table, not used to the lack of papers marking out an unnatural path. She leafed through the sheet music that had been neatly stacked on her table, wondering if she could find something for her piano student. While her old sheet music was slightly more advanced, she felt the girl was ready for it.

She paused when she happened upon one certain piece. Half possessed, her hands stopped and she simply stared at the title. Then, slowly, she tugged the piece out, made sure all of the papers were there and in order, then flipped back to the beginning. She glanced over the notes once, twice, and a hundred times more, though she did not need to. After all, the melody was engraved into her hands.

Carefully, Kaede placed the papers onto the table, spreading them out so she could see each one. Her hands moved on their own, tapping out the tune as if she was sat in front of a piano. She could hear the song in her head, forever haunting her. Yet when the last note came, there was nothing but silence.

She stared down at the table where black and white keys should have been. She let a beat pass before packing up the piece as well as a few others. Then she pulled out her phone, chose one of the numbers from her contacts, and waited a few rings before the other person picked up.

"Hey, Rantaro," she said when he finally did pick up, "Sorry for the sudden call, but do you have time for lunch?"


	17. Unforgettable Paths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rantaro brings Kaide to a restaurant for lunch and ends up telling her something she was not expecting. Of course, it was only fair if she did something in return, and that meant talking.

"This place is pretty good," Rantaro told Kaede as they approached the restaurant. They were walking through a part of town Kaede was unfamiliar with. "I like to go here after work."

Rantaro held open the door for Kaede. As she stepped inside, Kaede could faintly smell something nostalgic. The lighting was as warm as the place itself.

The two were seated by the window. Looking at the menu, Kaede found that the restaurant served mostly comfort food. A waitress took their orders before they were left on their own.

Rantaro leaned forward in his chair a bit. "So what did you want to meet about?" he asked with playful curiosity in his eyes.

Kaede hesitated. "... Nothing in particular." 

"Really now?" He sat back a bit.

"Yeah. I was just wondering if we could hang out. Like old times."

"'Old times,' huh?" he chuckled, "That does sound nice, but it feels like that’d be harder to do now.”

“I guess so. That’s one of the downsides to being an adult, huh?”

It did not take long for their food to arrive. Once she thanked the waitress, Kaede took a bite. It tasted comforting, like a home cooked meal. "It's good," Kaede commented.

"See? Told you." Rantaro took a bite out of his own food, seeming to savor it.

He swallowed, seeming to consider something. Kaede knew that the furrow in his brow meant that he was thinking of something serious. "What's on your mind?" she asked instinctively.

Rantaro looked up at her, surprised. "Wha- Oh, right. My 'serious face,' right?" He scrunched up his face to exaggerate the expression, electing a laugh from Kaede. With a sigh, he relaxed his face. "I guess something HAS been on my mind recently. I-" He stopped for a beat before saying, "Uh, sorry for throwing this on you, but could you... maybe... keep this secret?"

"Of course," Kaede reassured him in an instant.

Rantaro chuckled. "Yeah, I shouldn't even need to ask. You always did." His hands fidgeted a bit as they sat folded on the table. "I... I'm not sure, but you know Shuichi? I'm... I think I might be into him."

Well, at least that suspicion was confirmed. But there was still something a bit ironic about the whole situation. "That's cool and all, but since when did the stoically single Rantaro Amami fall for someone?"

"Look, I know I never really fell for anyone before, and I thought I never would," Rantaro admitted, "but something about Shuichi just... stood out, or something. I keep thinking about him and literally everything I know about that guy. Like, he's taking over my mind. It's a bit scary, actually."

"Love does that sometimes," Kaede laughed. It was something she experienced all too well.

"But... are you fine with it?"

Why was she hearing that question two days in a row? "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, don't you like Shuichi?"

She was taken aback. Did she give off that impression? "No, I don't," she answered truthfully, "To be honest with you, I thought I did. I really thought he was the one. I'm not sure, but something... happened. I don't know what, but I just... didn't love him in that way. Maybe I never did. I feel bad for that, though."

"Wait a minute." He held up a hand as if making sure she would pause. "You and Shuichi _dated _? Since when?"__

__"A few months ago in the summer," Kaede explained before taking another bite, then leaning back in her chair. "Did Shuichi not tell you about it?" She asked, but the answer was clear already._ _

__Rantaro shook his head. "I'd never have guessed. How... Was I supposed to know?"_ _

__Kaede thought for a moment, then told him truthfully, "Probably.” She let out another sigh. “There are just... so many things that I haven't told you. It's not right to keep you in the dark."_ _

__"Do you want to tell me them?"_ _

__She looked into the other's eyes. Those shining green eyes that held sincerity when he looked at her, as if he still trusted her. If he really did trust her after all the years and problems she placed on him, then what right did she have to not return that trust? "There is one thing I regretted keeping from you for so long. Even if it's childish and old news now, I want to tell you." She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. "I... Back when we were in school, I was in love with you, Rantaro."_ _

__The man looked shocked. "What? Why? For how long?"_ _

__Kaede answered, "A long time. Almost for all of high school."_ _

__"I'm sorry, Kaede," Rantaro told her, "I never noticed."_ _

__"I didn't want you to. Not back then." She shook her head as if it would shake loose the rest of her secrets from her mind. "I don't love you like that anymore, but... I wanted to let you know that I did. Once. And that was the biggest secret I kept from you." It was until that moment. But not anymore. Slowly, she felt the guilt that was strangling release its grip on her throat._ _

__Rantaro took one last bite of his food before he motioned Kaede's bag and said, "Hey, that bag is pretty beat up by now, right?" Kaede confirmed it. Where was he going with this? "How about a new one? We could even do some other shopping while we're out."_ _

__Kaede considered the offer. Her bag had been by her side for so long, but now it was starting to develop tears in several places, especially the seams. She treasured her faithful companion, but it would not last much longer. "Yes, sounds good," she responded, "You better get me something that lasts as long as this.”_ _

__Rantaro chuckled. “I’ll do my best.”_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're reaching the endgame, guys. I don't know about you, but I'm excited.


	18. Begin Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After everything that happened, Kaede finds herself back in Yuribara, playing the piano. It was then that she was approached with an offer from Tsumugi, and who was she to decline?

Kaede came into Yuribara with an upbeat spring in her step. She went up to the counter, where she saw that only Kirumi was manning the shop. “Hey, is Tsumugi finally taking a day off?” she jested.

The barista shook her head. “No, she's just running an errand. She should be back soon.”

“I see.” Kaede turned to look elsewhere in the shop, het hands fidgeting on the strap of her new bag- a simple black bag with a small grand piano embroidered in one corner. “Anyway, I was wondering if I could borrow the piano for a while.”

“Of course. It's all yours.”

Kaede gave her thanks before heading to the piano. She sat on the bench and set her bag next to her. After a minute of shuffling through her things, she pulled out some sheet music. It was an original composition by an orchestra in the area. An audition piece.

After scanning over the piece, she placed it on the piano’s stand and let her fingers hover just above the keys. Taking a deep breath, she started to play the three short movements in A major. Andante, Allegro, then Moderato. Some parts were more difficult than others, but overall, it was an interesting piece.

After playing through the song almost a dozen times, Kaede decided it was time for a break. She took out her phone and saw that over forty minutes had already passed. She had been in the shop for long enough, she decided, so she started to pack away the sheet music.

Suddenly, she felt someone grab her shoulders. With a surprised squeak, she spun around instinctively.

“Haha, sorry for surprising you,” the person behind her giggled, though she did not seem very sorry.

“Wha- Tsumugi!” Kaede cried when she recognized the woman. “You nearly gave me a heart attack!”

Tsumugi giggled again. “I thought you'd have a nice reaction, and I was right.” She cleared her throat. “Anyway, I have an offer for you. How would you like to join Kirumi and me for a little homemade dinner after closing?”

“Dinner, huh?” Kaede did not see that coming, to say the least. “Is it really alright if I do that?”

“Of course it is! I DID ask you, after all.” She put her hands on her hips. “You’ve been a very sweet friend to us, so I think it's fitting if you joined us.”

Kaede looked down at her bag. “You both think of me as a friend?”

“Yep. I've plainly grown fond of talking with you. Kirumi is too shy to say it, but she's also fond of you.” There was the sound of coins clattering to the ground followed by an apology from Kirumi as she went to pick them up. “So what do you say?”

Kaede thought for a moment. Were the women like friends to her? It was hard to deny it. Would she like to fully include them in her life? Would she have both sad and happy times with them? Would she love them?

There were many possibilities, and she could not help but wonder which would become true. “Sure. I'd love to.”

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, it's done! I have a lot to rant about, so treat this like the end credits of a movie that isn't Marvel.
> 
> Thank you again to my friend Cal! She helped me with a bunch of the songs that I used for this. Thanks!!
> 
> This story has some personal value to me. At first, it was just something that was self indulgent. Comfort food. But then as life went of, it evolved into something else. In a way, I grew with Kaede as I edited each chapter. I cut and re-wrote a lot of chapters from the original, and I'm sure in a while from now, I might look back on this and want to make more edits. That's just how things are!
> 
> While on the topic of cutting, if you're wondering "why are there so many loose ends? What sort of ending is this?" Firstly, yes. Secondly, this story was supposed to have a lot more of those loose ends tied up, but I felt like that wouldn't jive well with the tone I had in mind. I wanted to leave it open ended because that's just how life feels. You think one thing's over, but a thousand other things aren't. Sometimes things never get resolved. Life isn't cathartic! Thus, I just left things open ended. Fill in the blanks with those beautiful brains of yours!
> 
> Want to listen to the songs I had in mind when I named these? Have a listen here:  
> [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Di8-LKwCdBA&list=PL5eHYLjilDYLieKo2aIzXqtcyheMcu8LK](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Di8-LKwCdBA&list=PL5eHYLjilDYLieKo2aIzXqtcyheMcu8LK)
> 
> Thank you to everyone who left kudos and/or comments! They really fueled me to keep going! And most importantly of all, thank you for reading!


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